Patent GB-190313979-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and connected with Typewriters.
Inventor: ALLISON CHARLES ARTHUR
Filed: 1903-06-23
Granted: 1904-03-17
Abstract: 13,979. Allison, C. A., [Donning, G W., and Ambrose, H. T.]. June 23. Type-writers. - Relates to flat-platen type-writers especially adapted for writing in books, with means for manifolding. Fig. 1 shows an apparatus applied to a table A, which may be of any suitable form. The platens B consist of one or more movable leaves adjustable on a shaft b<5> provided with springs b<2> for raising the platens. A catch b<4> engages a locking-bar to hold the platens down in the writing position. Retaining-devices for holding the leaf down on the platen, may consist of a track-frame G, hinged or otherwise, resting on the paper, or of clamps B' at the edges of the platen, or of tapes &c. B", secured to rods or springs &c. at the rear, and provided with hooks or other means for attaching their front ends to the edge of the platen. The paper-clamping devices may be operated by hand or foot levers &c. The platens may be raised and lowered by means of vertically-movable plates C<5> beneath the platens. The plates C<5> are carried by a rocking bar C<4> pivoted on the upper end of a rod movable vertically by a toothed pinion C<2> on a shaft having an operating-handle C. In another arrangement, the rod is raised vertically by a hand-wheel nut, and the platens are also adjustable backwards and forwards by rack-and-pinion and ratchet gear. The writing-mechanism D runs transversely on rails d, d' in a frame E carried by end-brackets F running on the track-frame consisting cf side rails G, connected by a cross-bar g<3>, and preferably hinged at g. Springs g<2> are provided to assist in raising the rails when the frame E, F is run on to the rear extensions G', as shown in Fig. 1. The rails G are formed with central ridges on which the grooved wheels of the brackets F run, and with outer and inner flanges, the latter of which are formed with rack teeth on their upper sides. A locking-device g<4> is provided for holding the track-frame down in operative position, and a means is also provided for shifting the frame forwards or rearwards a short distance for writing between the lines. Fig. 5 shows an arrangement in which the writing-mechanism D, E, F runs on rails G, over the platen B supporting the leaf of the book, while the book itself rests on supports H on brackets h<5> pivoted at the rear on pairs of parallel arms h<3>, and at the front by single arms corresponding to the upper arms h<3>. The brackets are also pivoted to the ends of a lever h<6> pivoted centrally at h<7>, so that one support H may be swung up above the other when the two halves of the book are of different thickness. A clamp is provided on one of the pivots of the arms h<3> for locking the parts in position. The pivot h<7> is adjustable in height in a slot h<8> by means of a toothed cam h<10> engaging a pinion h<11>. The arms h<3> are pivoted on brackets h<12> carried by a rectangular frame h<13> having wheels running on tracks a on the table A. Or, the frame h<13> may run on another frame movable at right-angles to it. Fig. 27 shows an arrangement in which one or more webs of paper are fed over the platen B from rolls N at the rear, and a strip of carbon paper, for duplicating, is fed transversely from one roll to another at the sides of the platen. The rolls N are on vertically-sliding frames n' which may be raised bv racks and pinions operated through bevel gearing n<6> by a hand-lever n<7>, Fig. 29 shows a carbon-paper holding and lifting device, wherein the carbon paper Q is on a roll Q<1> and extends over the platen B to a clamp q on arms q<3> pivoted at q<4>. The arms q<3> may be operated, to raise the clamp and paper, by a lever q<5> and foot-piece q<6>. A paper-holder consisting of a tape passes from a roll r<3>, over the platen, to a clip r mounted to slide on the clamp q. In another form of tape-holder, the end of the tape is carried by a lever held down by a spring. The type-writer carriage D is drawn along by a tape i<23>, Fig. 1, and spring drum i<24>, and the feed is controlled by the escapement shown in Fig. 17. Above the carriage is a rack bar i<4> engaged by dogs i<3>, i<6> pivoted on a bracket I on the top plate d<6> of the carriage frame. The dog i' is fixed on the rocking bar i<2>, while the dog i<6> slides on the bar i<2> and is urged in one direction by a spring i<7>. The bar i' is rocked in one direction by a spring i<11> and in the other by a lever i<12> connected by a rod i<14> to an arm on the universal bar i<15>. A movable bar i<18> normally arrests the movement of the loose dog, but this bar may be retracted to permit the dog to move far enough to effect a two-tooth space. The bracket I is fixed on a shaft i<20> which may be rocked by connections from a key-lever, to throw both dogs out of the rack i<4> and free the carriage. The carriage is steadied in its movements by a roller l<27>, Fig. 14, on a projection from the baseplate of the carriage, engaging a transverse bar. In connection with the spacing-mechanism are tabulating, carriage-stopping, and printing &c. mechanism locking-arrangements. On the bar d on which the carriage runs are adjustable tabulating- stops d<9>, Fig. 23, which may be fixed by screws d<10>. On the top plate d<6> of the carriage is pivoted a bar d<13> having a projection d<15> adapted to engage the stops d<9>. The bar d<13> is rocked to throw the projection d<15> up into position to engage the stops d<9> by a connection d<14>, d<18> with the release shaft i<20>. When full general release is necessary, the stoparm d<15> is depressed by operating a short lever pivoted on the carriage. The carriage is stopped and locked at the end of its movement, by means of a pivoted stop-lever engaging a pivoted lever in a stop fixed by a screw on the rail d. The stop-lever is turned on its pivot by engagement with the stop, and one of its arms is moved under a projection on the lever i<12>, Fig. 17, preventing further operation of this lever, and consequently of the universal bar i<15> and the printing-mechanism. The pivoted lever in the stop may be operated to permit the carriage to move a short distance further, for finishing a word &c., when it is again stopped and locked by another part of the stop. Line-spacing is effected by moving the frame E, F along the tracks G, by means of escapement mechanisms in the end brackets F. On each end of a shaft, extending across from one bracket F to the other, is fixed a ratchet-wheel, and also a spur-wheel in gear with the rack teeth on the track G. The shaft and the wheels are turned by springs when the escapement permits. The escapement in each bracket F consists of a sliding plate carrying a fixed dog and of a rocking plate carrying a movable dog. The sliding dog-plate is operated by a cam-plate on the carriage D as the latter is moved to the left to commence a fresh line. This frees the movable dog, which swings a distance that is variable by a pivoted stop to regulate the extent of the line-spacing. A means is provided for releasing the carriage from the line-spacing mechanism, by operating a hand-lever, on a release shaft connected with a transverse bar carried by arms which engage and move the movable dogs from engagement with the ratchetwheels. A means for indicating the printing- point, when desired, consists of a lever pivoted on the base-plate of the carriage D, which lever may be swung so that its stepped end indicates the printing-point, by operating a special key-lever. The type-bars L, Fig. 14, are pivoted by means of a wire l<3>, in the curved slotted part l<5> of the baseplate l<4> of the carriage frame. The type-bars are preferably of U-shaped metal, bent together at the lower part to furm a rigid structure, and spaced at the upper end to receive the pivoted type-heads l<6>, each carrying preferably three types l<8>. The type-bars are connected by links l<20> to levers l<21> pivoted on the base l<4>, the position of these parts being such as to constitute toggles which lock;the type-bars when in normal position. The levers l<21> are connected by adjustable links l<24>, l<25> to arms of the key-levers. Each key-lever is carried by two parallel links l<30>, l<31> pivoted, respectively, at l<32>, l<33>. The pivoted type-head l<6> is connected by a link l<15> to an arm l<16> pivoted at l<17> on the type-bar. The type-head is notched for engagement of a pawl l<10> pivoted on the type-bar. The arms l<16> are provided with extensions l<19> adapted to engage a curved bar l<35>, as the type-bar swings to the printing point, to shift the typehead, for capitals &c., whenever the bar l<35> is raised by the opeiation of one of the shift keys l<46>, l<47>. The keys l<46>, l<47> have projections which operate levers l<42>, connected with a plate l<39> hung on parallel arms l<40>, l<41> and carrying hangers l<36> which raise and lower the curved bar l<35>. When the type-bars are in normal position the tails of the pawls l<10> engage a carved bar d<50> which holds the pawls out of engagement with the type-heads. The key-levers all bear on the universal bar i<15>, Fig. 17. The ink-ribbon passes from one spool M to the other over the printing point through a ribbon-guide. The guide is pivoted and is normally raised, but is thrown down at each operation of a key, by mechanism operated from the universal bar, and it is also shifted when the ribbon spools are shifted for changing the operative strip of ribbon. The spools M are carried by plates sliding on the side plates d<5> of the carriage frame, and movable by suitable mechanism for shifting the ribbon transversely and varying the path or ribbon. The spools are rotated by ratchet gear operated by suitable connections from the universal bar, and the feed-devices are carried by a sliding plate which is movable for stopping the feed and reversing the ribbon.